Congress must increase funding for Alzheimer’s research

As one of the 303,000 residents of Alabama who have or are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease, I am proud to support the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) (S693 and HR1676).

Recently reintroduced in Congress and supported by the Alzheimer’s Association, PCHETA would ensure America has an adequate, well-trained palliative care workforce through workforce training, education and awareness, and enhanced research. Palliative care and hospice are critical services for persons in the advanced stages of this terminal disease. In fact, a number of studies have concluded hospitalization is not recommended for individuals with advanced dementia given the life expectancy of the individual, the significant burdens of aggressive treatment and the difficulty of pain management for those who cannot communicate in the hospital setting.

PCHETA will help ensure the millions of Americans living with Alzheimer’s, like my grandmothers, my aunt and my mother did, have access to quality care and end-of-life services, making a devastating diagnosis slightly more manageable.

Conclusion: Please join me in thanking Rep. Bradley Byrne for his consideration of PCHETA and asking for his support.